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earth fhall pass away, but my words fhall not pafs away. It is a common figure of fpeech in the oriental languages, to fay of two things that the one shall be and the other shall not be, when the meaning is only that the one shall happen fooner or more easily than the other. As in this inftance of our Saviour, Heaven and earth fhall pass away, but my words fhall not pass away, the meaning is, Heaven and earth fhall fooner or more eafily pass away than my words fhall pass away; the frame of the universe shall fooner or more easily be diffolved than my words shall not be fulfilled: And thus it is expreffed by St. Luke upon a like occafion, (XVI. 17.) It is easier for heaven and earth to pass than one tittle of the law to fail.

In another place he fays (Matt. XVI. 28.) There are fome ftanding here, who shall not tafte of death, till they fee the Son of man coming in his kingdom: intimating that it would not fucceed immediately, and yet not at fuch a distance of time, but that some then living should be fpectators of the calamities coming upon the nation. In like manner he fays to the women, who bewailed and lamented him as he was going to be crucified, (Luke XXIII. 28.) Daughters of Jerufalem,

(1) Ngar hic non diei particulam fed latius fumti temporis

ambitum

Jerufalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourJelves, and for your children: which fufficiently implied, that the days of distress and misery were coming, and would fall on them and their children. But at that time there was not any appearance of fuch immediate ruin. The wifeft politician could not have inferred it from the then present state of affairs. Nothing less than divine prescience could have certainly forefeen and foretold it.

But still the exact time of this judgment was unknown to all creatures, (ver. 36.) But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. The word wga (1) is of larger fignification than hour; and befides it feemeth somewhat improper to say of that day and bour knoweth no man; for if the day was not known, certainly the hour was not, and it was fuperfluous to make fuch an addition. I conceive therefore that the paffage should be rendered, not of that day and hour knoweth no man, but of that day and season knoweth no man, as the word is frequently used in the best authors both facred and profane. It is true our Saviour declares All these things fhall be fulfilled in this generation; it is true the prophet Daniel hath

ambitum intelligo &c. Grot. in locum.

Z3

given

(2) Proinde

given fome intimation of the time in his famous prophecy of the feventy weeks: But tho' this great revolution was to happen in that generation; though it was to happen towards the conclufion' of seventy weeks or 490 years to be computed from a certain date that is not eafy to be fixed; yet the particular day, the particular feafon in which it was to happen, might still remain a fecret to men and angels: And our Saviour had before (ver. 20.) advised his disciples to pray, that their flight be not in the winter, neither on the fabbath-day; the day not being known, they might pray that their flight be not on the fabbath-day; the feafon not being known, they might pray that their flight be not in the winter. As it was in the days of Noah, faith our Saviour, (ver. 37, 38, 39.) fo fhall it be now. As then, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, till they were furprised by the flood, notwithstanding the frequent warnings" and admonitions of that preacher of righteoufnefs: fo now, they shall be engaged in the bufinefs and pleasures of the world, little expecting little thinking of this univerfal ruin, till it come upon them, notwithstanding the exprefs predictions and declarations of Chrift and his apoftles. Then shall two be in the field, the one shall be taken, and the other left: Two women shall be grinding

at

at the mill, the one shall be taken, and the other left. (ver. 40, 41.) That is, Providence will then make a distinction between fuch, as are not at all distinguished now. Some shall be rescued from the destruction of Jerufalem, like Lot out of the burning of Sodom; while others, no ways perhaps different in outward circumstances, fhall be left to perish in it.

The matter is carried fomewhat farther in the parallel place of St. Mark; and it is faid not only that the angels were excluded from the knowlege of the particular time, but that the Son himself also was ignorant of it. The 13th chapter of that evangelift answers to the 24th of St. Matthew. Our Saviour treateth there of the figns and circumstances of his coming and the deftruction of Jerufalem, from the 5th to the 27th verse inclufive; and then at verse the 28th he proceeds to treat of the time of his coming and the deftruction of Jerufalem. The text in St. Matthew is, Of that day and feafor knoweth no man, no not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. The text in St. Mark is, Of that day and feafon knoweth no man, no not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. It is true the words dos, neither the Son, were omitted in fome copies of St. Mark, as they are inferted in fome copies of St. Matthew: but

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there is no fufficient authority for the omiffion in St. Mark, any more than for the infertion in St. Matthew. Erafmus and fome of the moderns (2) are of opinion, that the words were omitted in the text of St. Matthew, left they should afford a handle to the Arians for proving the Son to be inferior to the Father: but it was to little purpose to erase them out of St. Matthew, and to leave them ftanding in St. Mark. On the contrary St. Ambrofe and fome of the ancients (3) affert, that they were inferted in the text of St. Mark by the Arians: but there is as little foundation or pretence for this affertion, as there is for the other. It is much more probable, that they were omitted in fome copies of St. Mark by fome indiscreet orthodox, who thought them to bear too hard upon our Saviour's divinity. For all the most ancient copies and translations extant retain them; the moft ancient fathers quote them, and comment upon them and certainly it is eafier for words to be omitted in a copy fo as that the omiffion fhould not generally prevail afterwards, than it is for words to be inferted in a copy fo as that the infertion fhould generally prevail afterwards. Admit the words

(2) Proinde fufpicor hoc a nonnullis fubtractum, ne Arianis effet anfa confirmandi Filium

there

effe Patre minorem, &c, Erasm. in locum.

(3) Ambrof.

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